Energy Explores a New Frontier in High-Performance Computer R&D

Space is the “final frontier.” Well, it is according to Captain James Kirk of the Starship Enterprise.

However, the Department of Energy would challenge that assertion with its New Frontiers research project. Designed to foster partnerships between industry and the government, the Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program’s $23M project will provide research and development (R&D) for future energy needs required by the next generation of high-performance, or exascale, computers.

The New Frontiers program is a fixed-price subcontracting opportunity with ORNL’s management and operations (M&O) prime contractor UT-Battelle, LLC. The contractor issued the Request for Proposals on September 6. The solicitation closes at 5 p.m. Eastern Time, October 21, 2024. Jason Holder is the ORNL Procurement Representative.

The two-year subcontracts will focus on open-source and sustainable software technologies, hardware technologies and cross-cutting technologies that address future extreme-scale application workflows and overall time to solutions for energy requirements.

High-performance computing (HPC) supports the foundation of Energy’s modeling and simulation activities and remains a priority investment for the Office of Science (SC). The office utilizes three of the world’s top 10 fastest supercomputers to conduct open scientific research, the Cray EX Frontier and the IBM AC922 Summit at Oak Ridge Nuclear Laboratory (ORNL) and the HPE Cray Ex-Intel Aurora at Argonne National Laboratory. These HPC systems consume vast amounts of energy requiring new ways to keep pace with the ever-increasing requirements as technology evolves and faster computers become the norm.

“There is a growing consensus that urgent action is needed to address an array of bottlenecks in advanced computing, including energy efficiency, advanced memory, interconnects, and programmability to maintain economic leadership and national security,” said Ceren Susut, associate director of DOE’s Office of Science for Advanced Scientific Computing Research. “Through the Exascale Computing Project, we partnered with industry to provide critical advances for the nation, but much more work remains to be done and the opportunities and challenges of AI underscore the need for continued government investment.”

Expect Energy IT investments such as this to continue increasing over the next five years with emphasis on AI, high-performance computing and cybersecurity projects. For example, the FY 2025 budget includes a historic $1.9B investment in advancing critical and emerging technologies including $455M for AI and new applications. Additionally, the agency’s FY 2024 – 2029 IT Strategic Plan includes leveraging cloud technologies, Internet as a Service, Software as a Service and Platform as a Service solutions to support agency-wide modernization and compliance with federal regulations.

As with the New Frontiers program, these efforts may be embedded within the large M&O contracts, other contracts or funded under the agency’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)/Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs.

Additional information about the ORNL M&O Prime Contract and Prime Contractor and upcoming opportunities are available through Deltek’s GovWin solution.